Vitoria vs Flamengo Prediction: Barradao booking for Baralhas

Reigning Brazilian Serie A champions Flamengo are still without a league victory this season, following up their 2-1 defeat at Sao Paulo with a 1-1 draw at home to Internacional last week. On Wednesday (00:30 GMT, Premier Sports 2), Filipe Luis’s side head to Salvador to take on Vitoria, who beat recently-promoted Remo 2-0 in the opening round of fixtures before suffering a 5-1 hammering at 2025 runners-up Palmeiras.

Below are my Vitoria vs Flamengo predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this midweek meeting at the Barradao.

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Team News

Edu (thigh), Fintelman (hip), Marinho (ankle), Ruben Ismael, Lucas Arcanjo, Claudinho and Ruben Ramos (all knee) are among the injury absentees for Jair Ventura's Vitoria.

Football Odds

Flamengo, meanwhile, are still without Saul Niguez (heel), while Jorginho, who was suspended for last week's stalemate with Internacional, missed Sunday's 7-1 thrashing of Sampaio Correa FE in the Carioca with a thigh problem and is expected to be out for a couple of weeks.

Vitoria vs Flamengo Odds

Vitoria, who haven’t beaten Flamengo since August 2017, are 4/1, or a 20% chance, to claim all three points on Wednesday, with the visitors 4/6, or a 60% chance, to secure their first league victory of the campaign, while the draw is offered at 13/5.

Match Result & Both Teams to Score - Flamengo & Yes @ 11/4

Flamengo have endured a difficult start to the season, winning just one of their first eight games across the Carioca, Serie A and Supercopa do Brasil (D2, L5) before dismantling state side Sampaio Correa FE last weekend.

Vitoria, therefore, might fancy their chances of getting something on Wednesday, but Flamengo have too much quality in their ranks not to turn the tide soon, in my opinion, and I think a winning run in the league starts in Salvador.

Today's Football Fixtures

Filipe Luis' charges did the double over Vitoria last year, winning 2-1 at the Barradao before blitzing their opponents 8-0 in Rio.

Vitoria began the new campaign with a 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Remo, but were handed a harsh lesson at Palmeiras last week, going down 5-1, and they could be set for another defeat against one of the big boys on Wednesday, although they look good for a goal against a defence that has kept just one clean sheet in nine games this calendar year.

Player to Receive a Card - Gabriel Baralhas (VIT) @ 7/5

I usually wouldn't back this bet at this sort of price, but I do think there is a strong argument to be made that Vitoria midfielder Gabriel Baralhas will be booked on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old was a serial offender in Serie A last season, averaging 1.6 fouls per game and picking up 10 yellow cards in 28 appearances (26 starts).

Baralhas has already received two bookings in four matches this year, one in the Baiano against Bahia and the other in the opening round of the Serie A season against Remo.

On Wednesday, the Brazilian will be up against the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Everton and Nicolas de la Cruz, the first three of whom were fouled twice apiece by Internacional players last week, while the latter was taken down four times.